


The Ongoing Relations of a Tin Dog and his BFFs

by grlgoddess



Category: Doctor Who, Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: Gen, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-20
Updated: 2010-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-13 20:06:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/141264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grlgoddess/pseuds/grlgoddess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vignettes of the relationships K-9 (mainly Mark IV) has had over the years. A little bit of everything - slice of life, missing scene, humour, sadness - all involving the best dog in the Whoniverse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ongoing Relations of a Tin Dog and his BFFs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JaneTurenne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaneTurenne/gifts).



> As this was written shortly after the school semester, this is formatted kind of like an essay, but with stories instead of quotes.

The robot dog known as K-9 has a rather complicated history. First created in the 51st century, the dog currently has gone through at least 4 models, the newest of which resides in the 21st century. This fourth model is the focus of these observations.

Over the years, K-9 has had many meaningful relationships with numerous creatures, both animal and mechanical. The only relationship that has lasted through all four models has been with the Time Lord known as the Doctor.

*~*~*~*

The Doctor had 'accidentally' knocked over the game board again. That was the fifteenth time out of thirty-eight games. Three of which, he had a higher than usual probablility of winning.

"When are you going to give up on that? We've been floating in the vortex for ages."

"Not now, Romana," the Doctor replied, waving her off as he tried to return the pieces to their proper place. Well, close enough to their proper place. Romana just rolled her eyes and started fiddling with the console.

"The rook was at B 6," K-9 said, not fooled by his not-so-subtle attempt at cheating.

"Yes, yes," the Doctor mumbled, sullenly putting the piece where it belonged.

"Mate in ten," K-9 chirped when the board was back to playing condition.

"Mate in ten?"

"Affirmative, master." The Doctor frowned at the board, and at the tin dog.

"Time we got going, we've been floating around for ages," he said, 'accidentally' knocking the board down again as he pulled his scarf behind him.

"Finally," Romana said, glad his childish impatience had finally beaten out his stubbornness.

K-9 just wagged his tail, eager for another trip in the TARDIS, even if he might not get to leave the ship.

*~*~*

"There we are," the Doctor said, pleased with his work.

"All systems functional," K-9 said. This new model was a great improvement over the last one, especially at the end.

"Good," he replied, "You'll be good for Sarah, won't you?"

"Affirmative, master."

"I've included some better care instructions, and a stronger battery, better manoeuvrability, and – "

"Master," K-9 interrupted, "I should be returning to mistress now."

"Ah, right, sorry," the Doctor said, "You're a good dog, K-9." He scratched the dog's head.

"Affirmative, master."

The Doctor set the teleports coordinates and sent the dog back to Earth. It was the least he could do for Sarah Jane.

*~*~*~*

The fourth model has spent his days in a linear fashion, in the company of Sarah Jane Smith, her son Luke, and their friends.

*~*~*~*

"The black hole will need constant monitoring, mistress. I must stay behind," K-9 said, his voice less chipper than usual.

"Are you certain?"

"Affirmative. No alternative is readily available."

"I'll miss you."

"I will miss you too. The connection is fading. Farewell, mistress."

"Goodbye, K-9."

*~*~*

"K-9," Luke called as he entered his dorm room.

"Master Luke," K-9 said, wheeling out form under the desk.

"I need you to do a scan for extraterrestrial life forms on campus."

"Affirmative," he replied, and whirred for a moment. "No new extraterrestrial form has arrived."

Luke sunk into his bed and sighed.

"Anything wrong, Master Luke?"

"Everything's perfectly normal. School is great, it's just that I've never gone this long without stopping some alien threat. It's weird."

"Probability of negative extraterrestrial influence is 1.3867 per cent less likely than in Ealing."

"1.3867 per cent? That shouldn't have such a drastic decrease. Maybe there's something that's blocking all the alien threats? Up for some investigating K-9?"

"Affirmative, master!"

*~*~*~*

K-9 Mark IV is not only in the company of humans, but also another artificial intelligence. Mr. Smith and K-9 have an ... interesting relationship.

*~*~*~*

Sarah Jane was interested to see how K-9 and Mr. Smith would react when they first met. After all, it wasn't everyday you had two supercomputers interacting in your attic. Things started off fairly civil. The two had a bit of port-to-port communication, then went their separate ways with barely a word to each other. It was only after prolonged involvement with each other that the issues began to arise. Both of them being fairly unique, especially on 21st century Earth, they had individually developed severe superiority complexes.

"Who let the dog in?" Mr. Smith would complain, while K-9 would just let the insults fly over his head. He preferred to let his knowledge and usefulness speak for itself.

"Correction, Mr. Smith. The Xarge plant is not carnivorous, but omnivorous," K-9 would say in the smuggest tone a robot can manage.

The not-so-subtle jabs were easy to ignore, and, as their bickering didn't interfere with the world-saving, Sarah saw no reason to put an end to it. Not until the bickering turned into... something else.

It started when Mr. Smith went for over a week without referring to K-9 as 'that dog'. Then, when K-9 corrected Mr. Smith, he began to use a more ashamed tone, and acted as if he almost regretted his corrections. They began to willingly spend time together, and work together to solve problems, rather than race against each other.

Things really got weird when, one day, after getting back early from an out of town meeting with some UNIT higher-ups, Sarah Jane walked into the attic and saw the pair _canoodling_.

"Sarah Jane! I – didn't see you arrive," Mr. Smith said, clearly startled.

"Good evening Mistress," K-9 chirped, strangely unperturbed.

Sarah Jane just backed out of the attic, quickly. She didn't know what two supercomputers could get up to in their spare time, and she didn't really want to find out.

A few days later, it was Clyde who caught the pair.

"What are you two doing?" he asked, partially afraid of the answer.

"We were ... scanning for potentially dangerous meteors," Mr. Smith said, lying unconvincingly.

"Riiigghhtt..." Clyde said, "Well, you better get back to it then. Don't want to be caught off guard by a 'potentially dangerous meteor'."

He left the attic, and hurried downstairs to tell Sarah Jane.

"It's just a phase," she told him, trying to convince herself. If those two didn't stop acting like this, she'd have to do something. What that something would be, she had no idea.

Luckily, a couple of weeks and only three more awkward encounters later, K-9 and Mr. Smith had resumed their usual bickering.

When she asked them what had caused the change, Mr. Smith was vague and deftly avoided answering anything at all.

K-9 merely chirped, "The build up is always more enjoyable than the act."

*~*~*~*

Being far from obsolete, with the proper upkeep, K-9 Mark IV will continue to coexist happily with others of its kind, as well as with his more humanoid friends.


End file.
